“Yes, there WAS bribery,” admits firm in cash-for-holiday scandal

An investigation into bullying, harassment and discrimination against Goan workers at a Swindon hospital has found evidence of bribery, with a report admitting staff were required to “give gifts” to managers to secure holiday time.

More than 100 domestic workers at the Great Western Hospital took out grievances against Carillion, claiming management were asking for payment to guarantee preferential holiday dates or working time rotas.

The allegations were dismissed after a preliminary investigation by management, leading to the GMB members taking 18 days strike action. The union agreed to suspend industrial action while Carillion carried out a second investigation.

Now, in letters to individual members, the company has communicated the interim conclusions of the second investigation.

GMB regional secretary Paul Maloney said: “Carillion has finally, after five months, uncovered evidence of bribery and shakedowns at the Swindon Hospital PFI contract. However they have yet to make arrangements to communicate the results to GMB or the elected shop stewards or set up any meetings with GMB to deal with the findings of the investigations.

“I am profoundly disappointed that this second investigation has completely failed to deal with what has been 18 months of covering up of evidence of bribery and shakedowns by managers of these employees. The investigation has failed to identify or deal with the managers who presided over this cover up.

“The second investigation also avoids dealing with why the first investigation totally ignored this central issue that staff were required to “give gifts” to managers in order to secure the holiday or working time rotas that they were legally entitled to.

“In short the investigation has failed to deal with a clear case of corruption, institutional bullying and discrimination.

“The outcome of the first and second investigation shows how deep seated the culture of abusing its own staff is ingrained in Carillion which was found guilty in court of blacklisting its own workers. The HR manager responsible for the blacklisting is the same person dealing with the Swindon hospital contract.

“It is going to require a public campaign to force Carillion to confront the institutional abuse of its own employees and come to terms with the culture existing within its organisation.

“I will consult with members on site and with the governing councils in the union to take stock as to how to progress this dispute to the satisfactory conclusion that we are still, after 18 days of strike action, far away from.

“Heads must roll. Carillion must agree to proper representation for GMB members to enable issues to be tackled at source to ensure this does not happen again.”

* To learn more of the dispute, click here, and to see UnionNews films see here and here.